cherishables: The Felted Tote

Showing posts with label The Felted Tote. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

WIP - works in progress

When I first started crocheting, I was determined that I would not have any WIPs or works in progress. I would start a project and finish it.

That worked really well for a long time -- over 2 years. Of course, my projects were small then and I needed to finish them in order to see any mistakes and fix them with the next project. Then I started crafting for gifts and (keeping fingers crossed) profit. All good intentions went right out the window.

Now I have WIPs all over the house. Here's the purse I was working on for myself:

Doesn't look much like a purse, does it? It's the body and two side gussets. I still need to make 6 pockets and 4 pocket flaps & straps. Then I need to put it together, felt it, line it and put in a zipper. I was supposed to have this finished by September 1. After all, it's a pumpkin colored purse. I wanted to carry it in the fall. I will be VERY happy if it's ready for next fall. In fact, I vow right now on this little blog, that I will finish this purse. After Christmas. Right now I need to go finish two commissioned purses and a slew of Christmas gifts.....

Let me rephrase. I'll be very happy if I EVER finish this purse.

So, how big is your WIP pile?

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

The Felted Tote - skill set

If you're following along as I attempt The Felted Tote written by Little Projects:

you may be wondering what skills you need to make this tote. You will need basic crochet skills like: making a chain, fastening off and weaving in ends. All the components of the bag, including the handles (if you don't purchase pre-made handles like the ones shown) are made using a half double crochet (hdc) stitch. If you don't know how to make a hdc, you'll find good tutorials on You Tube.

This bag is constructed in pieces, so no crocheting in the round. You will need to be able to sew the pieces together using yarn and a large-eye, blunt-end needle. We will also be felting the bag. If you haven't used this technique yet, I would recommend buying an extra skein of yarn, in the type you wish to use for the tote. Make a few gauge swatches & felt them according to the directions in the pattern. Be sure to measure the swatch before & after felting and time the process, so you'll know how long to felt your bag for the yarn you selected. Since felting is more of an art than a science, it's always a good idea to felt a swatch when using yarn that is new to you. Remember, you'll need 100% wool and a washing machine to felt this bag.

The pattern will include all a list of materials and felting instructions. If this technique is new to you, please don't let that prevent you from trying. I dove right into felting after learning to crochet. Personally, I love the look of a felted piece and found the technique easy to learn. I hope you'll crochet along!

Monday, August 29, 2011

The Felted Tote - Part 1

Tote Body & Sides

This tote is constructed in pieces which are sewn together with the same wool yarn before felting. The felting process not only shapes the bag, but helps the pieces stay together to make this:

Pattern by Little Projects.

To begin, first we need to select yarn. Since this is a felted tote we will need yarn that is 100% wool. The pattern calls for 5 skeins of Patons Classic Wool. You can use any wool you like, just make sure you buy enough. Here's a tip if you want to substitute yarn. In general, you can substitute as long as you buy yarn of the same weight.

For instance, this pattern calls for Patons Classic Wool which is a worsted, medium weight yarn. When looking at comparable yarns, look for the recommended yarn's weight symbol. Patons Wool is weight class 4:

Look for a yarn with the same weight class then you'll know your project will come out, roughly, the same size as the original. Next, don't look at the ounces called for in the pattern. They won't mean much when looking at a different brand of yarn. Instead, look for the yards used. Some patterns will say the number of yards. At the very least, the pattern will call for the number of skeins. Use that information to figure how much yardage is needed and then compare that will the yards for the yarn you're looking at to figure how many skeins you will need.

For instance, one skein of Patons Classic Wool (solid color) is 223 yards. The pattern calls for 5 skeins, which is 1,115 yards. Let's say you fall in love with a color of Lion Brand Wool. One skein (solid color) is 158 yards. Therefore, you will need 7 skeins of the Lion Wool to complete this project. You would need 8 skeins if you picked a LB self-striping wool, as each skein has 143 yards. Be sure to check the lot numbers so that all your yarn will match. Another tip is to over buy. If you're not sure if you need 7 or 8 skeins of yarn, buy 8 and return the one you don't use or use the left-over yarn for a smaller project (or make a purse that has random stripes of all different colors!)

Okay, we have our yarn picked out and we have enough skeins from one lot number. Let's start!

I'm following along with the pattern, so I made one body & two sides:

As you can see, I didn't go with green -- though I love the shade of green used on the original. I wanted an orange tote for fall, so I selected Patons Classic Wool in Pumpkin (product #77605.)

What you're seeing here is the body folded over on itself. It's actually twice as long as this picture. On the top are the two pieces for the sides. I've marked the right sides (RS) of each with a stitch marker because you want the right sides (as in correct side, not right vs left) facing out & I want to be sure I can identify the right side facing out. If you don't weave in your ends as you go (like I do) you can also tell the right side by the beginning tail. When you start your chain you will have a tail. When you have the right side up the tail will be in the lower left corner. Since I weave in my ends as I go (b/c I hate weaving in ends and when I have the tote constructed I'm going to want to felt right away & NOT weave in lots of ends -- I just know me) I mark the right side of each piece.

Now that the body & sides are completed, I will be moving on to the pockets -- which will be the subject of Part 2.

The Felted Tote - Introduction

For over a year, I've looked at this pattern from Little Projects on Etsy:

Isn't it lovely? Lots of pockets of felted goodness. For a year I drooled and then passed over the pattern because I thought it would be too far above my skill level. Two weeks ago, and 40+ constructed purses later, I decided I had to try to make this tote and I purchased the pattern.

The pattern calls for 5 skeins of Patons 100% wool. That's 1,115 yards. Since I couldn't find enough wool, in a color I liked, in any local store I had to order the wool online. My yarn came on Friday -- right before Irene threatened to keep me housebound all weekend. This is the story of the construction of a purse I've been waiting a year to make.

If you can make a half double crochet (hdc) you can make this purse too. It's all straight pieces that are pieced together before felting. I used to shy away from piecing because I'm not great at hand sewing. Let me tell you, felting helps to cover a world of mistakes, so don't let the piecing keep you from making this tote.

I hope you'll follow along as I attempt to make a tote that is even half as lovely as the original. If you would like to crochet along, you can purchase a copy of the pattern on Etsy from Little Projects.